Beauty in the Breakdown
by TessaStarDean
Summary: Multiple pairings. With such close friendships and strong feelings, the C.S.I.s are bound to hurt each other. Will be ten parts. DannyLindsay, FlackStella, FlackLindsay, LindsayHawkes, StellaMac, MacMichelle.
1. Pain

Stella tried to remind herself to breathe as she walked down the street. She had just spent over an hour trying to decide what to wear, and what to do with her hair. She wasn't usually someone who stood in front of the mirror, agonizing over how she looked. But today was different; today was...important.

Her hands were shaking, and she clutched her purse tighter, willing them to stop. She reminded herself that this was Mac...her best friend in the entire world. No matter what his reaction was, nothing could change that. Nodding to herself, she quickened her pace, her stomach tight with anxiety as she ran over what she was going to say in her mind for the five hundredth time.

Despite her nervousness, Stella couldn't help but smile when she saw Mac standing in front of the diner where they were supposed to meet. The smile faltered, however, when she saw that he was talking with Michelle Dessler. She liked the new detective, but she really hoped that she didn't join them for lunch. The conversation Stella had in mind was _not _something she wanted to share with anyone else.

She stopped completely when she saw Mac lean down and kiss Michelle on the lips. There wasn't the hesitancy of a first kiss, and Stella realized with a sinking certainty that this had been going on for awhile, all without her knowing. Her throat closed tightly as Mac tilted his head and deepened the kiss, pulling the other detective closer, his arms wrapped around her. When he pulled back, he was smiling, and Stella realized that he was happy.

She wanted to turn around. She wanted to walk away like she had never been there at all, like she had never seen him kissing another woman with such joy and peace in his face. But it was too late now, as Mac turned and caught sight of her, raising his hand in greeting. She waved back, somehow forcing a smile back onto her face, her legs shaking as she forced them to move forward once again.

Michelle had left by the time she reached him, and Stella was grateful for that. She wasn't sure that she could have held up her act in front of both of them. She kept smiling at Mac as she stopped in front of him, her cheeks starting to hurt. Smiling back, oblivious to her pain, he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Hey, Stell."

"Hey," she murmured. She nodded in the direction Michelle had gone. "I didn't know you were seeing anyone."

He nodded, blushing slightly, and Stella realized that she had never seen him blush before. "It's been a few weeks now - just over a month. I wanted to make sure it was something real before I told you."

"You look happy," she said, every word making her die inside.

"I am." He rested his hand on her lower back, leading her into the diner. "You wanted to talk to me about something? You sounded nervous on the phone."

She shook her head as they took their seats. "I just wanted to see you. We haven't had much time to talk about something other than work lately."

Mac nodded, seeming to understand. Squeezing her hand, he gave her another smile, and this time she saw how different it was from the one he had given Michelle. "Let's eat, then."

Lifting her menu, Stella tried to read the words, but they were blurred by the tears that filled her eyes.

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She didn't know what to say. The words had tumbled out of Danny's mouth, and she wasn't even sure that he had meant to say them. But that didn't matter - he _had_ said them, and now they lay between them like a bed of nails, neither willing to cross the distance. Swallowing hard, Lindsay finished buttoning up her shirt, still too shocked even for tears.

"I have to go," she muttered, shaking her head and turning to walk away.

That was when Danny reached for her. He knew he shouldn't have, that he deserved her walking out on him, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't just let the most important woman in his life walk out the door without at least trying to explain. So he reached out, his fingers wrapping around her arm.

"Lindsay -"

She turned on him, pushing him back hard with both hands. He stumbled back, not expecting the physical outburst.

"Don't you dare touch me," she hissed. "You lost ANY right you EVER had to touch me!"

He reached out again, although he wasn't close enough to actually touch her. "Montana -"

"No!" she yelled, pointing her finger at him, her eyes blazing and brimming with tears. "You don't get to that, Danny! You don't get to call me cute names, and make everything better!" She spun on her heel, striding toward the door, but at the last minute she turned back to him, her face mottled with rage. "And you know what the funny thing is? It's not even that you fucked another woman. You were hurting, and even though it was wrong, I could maybe at least _start_ to understand that. But you took me back into your bed," she pointed at it behind him, "knowing full well what you had done." She stopped, staring at the sheets, and the rage began to give way to tears. "Did you sleep with her there?" she asked, her voice shaking with disbelief. "Did you even change the sheets?"

Danny had never hated himself more than in that one moment. He took a step towards her, his own tears filling his eyes. "Lindsay -"

She stepped away, holding up a hand. "Don't," she whispered. "I...I have to go. I have to wash you off of me."

Without even looking at him again, she walked out of the room, grabbing her purse on the way out and slamming the door.


	2. Hold Me

"Linds?"

Flack came further into the locker room, frowning when she didn't look up. She sat on the bench that ran the length of the room her head in her hands and her shoulders shaking. Worry tightening in his chest, Don moved quickly, crouching down in front of her.

"Lindsay?" he asked again, his voice soft.

She looked up then, her red eyes meeting his own. She looked so lost and alone that his breath caught in his chest, and he reached out for her, wiping away the tears that ran down her face.

"I can't do this," she whispered.

"Do what?"

Lindsay closed her eyes, more tears falling down her face. Don let his thumbs move against her skin, wondering what could have broken her down so much - he had never seen her like this before.

"It's over," she finally murmured. "Danny and I...it's over."

His heart pounded at her words, his lips suddenly dry. "What?"

She looked at him again, and the pain in her eyes was staggering. "He cheated on me."

Rage filled him, and he had the sudden urge to kill his best friend. Danny had had the best thing in the world right in front of him - hell, sleeping in his bed - and still he had ruined it all. Flack didn't know who the other woman was, and he really couldn't have cared less. All that mattered was that he had hurt the woman he was supposedly head over heels for. He clenched his fists as he looked at Lindsay, her tears still falling. He would never treat her this way, or push her aside because he was busy feeling sorry for himself...

"That fuckin' bastard," he growled.

Lindsay reached for his shoulders, pushing hard to keep him from rising. "Don't."

His eyes found hers again. "I'll fuckin' kill him."

This time he launched himself to his feet, brushing off her hold. He didn't care that they were at work, or that Danny was his best friend. The only thing he could think of was beating the crap out of him, letting him know just what an idiot he was for throwing her away. But halfway to the door, she called out to him.

"Please, Don."

It was the pleading in her voice that did him in. Turning around, he stared at her for a long minute. He was so torn between wanting to make Danny hurt the way she was, and comforting her, wrapping his arms around her and telling her that everything would be okay. Finally he sighed, settling for taking a seat back on the bench. Lindsay had risen to her feet at the same time he had, and now she stared down at him, hugging herself tightly, a grateful look on her face.

"He's an idiot," Flack said quietly.

Lindsay reached out, cupping his cheek with her hand. "I know."

Before he could talk himself out of it, Don stood up, pulling her into a tight embrace. She stiffened at first, expecting a short hug, but when Flack kept holding her, she let herself relax into him. There was something comforting about being in his arms, and she felt safe, safer than she had in a long time. Sighing, she breathed him in, letting all the pain of the past few weeks seep out of her.

When they pulled back, Flack didn't release his hold on her. His eyes sought out hers as he tried to think of something, anything, that could make her feel better. But nothing came to mind, and he ended up just staring at her. Lindsay met his gaze unflinchingly, one hand reaching up to slowly trace the lines of his face.

Then she lifted herself up onto her toes, brushing her lips against his. Flack froze, staring at her in disbelief. When he didn't pull back, though, Lindsay kissed him again. It was firmer this time, and Don found himself kissing her in return, his mouth moving slowly against hers. Running her hands down his sides, Lindsay pushed him back until his legs hit the bench and he sat down hard. She didn't take her mouth off of his as she wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her body up against his. Flack knew that he should put a stop to this, but for the life of him he didn't want to. She felt so good in his arms, her fingers tangling in his short hair as she struggled to bring them even closer.

Any thoughts he might have had about pulling away disappeared when Lindsay nipped at his bottom lip, plunging her tongue into his mouth. Don's mind effectively shut down as their kisses became more furious, their hands roaming over the other in a frenzy. Lindsay shifted, setting her knees on the bench and lowering herself onto his lap. Flack moaned in pleasure, holding her hips in place so that he could feel her against him.

It was the tears that finally made him stop. When he felt them fall on his cheeks, he finally pulled back, staring at Lindsay in confusion. She clung to him, her lips hovering over his.

"Please," she begged. "Please, Don."

And that was when he knew he couldn't do it. As much as he wanted this - as much as he wanted _her_ - he couldn't let her use him like that. It wasn't a matter of thinking he deserved better; he knew that she would eventually hate herself for it, and he couldn't risk losing her friendship. Sighing, and inwardly cursing, he reached up and gently took her hands off of him.

"We both know why you're doin' this, Linds," he said softly. "You don't want me."

As though she finally realized what she was doing, Lindsay dropped her head into her hands.

"God, Flack, I'm sorry. I just...I wanted it to stop. Even if it was just for a little bit."

He leaned forward, kissing her forehead. "Don't worry about it." Lifting her off of him, he set her back on her feet and then stood up himself. "C'mon, let's get back to work."

Lindsay nodded, staring up at him with sad eyes. "Thank you, Don."

He gave her the only smile he could find. "Anytime."

As she walked out of the locker room, he watched her go, certain that his heart was leaving with her.

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Danny didn't see him coming until the last second. Looking up, he opened his mouth to greet him, but Flack had already pulled his arm back, and seconds later his fist crashed into his friend's face. Danny went down hard, sprawled out on the floor of the lab.

"That was for fuckin' up and ruinin' everybody else's lives."

He had nothing else, so he turned to go, not caring if he had broken Danny's jaw or not.

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"You look about as bad as I feel."

Stella looked up to see Flack take a seat on the bar stool next to her. "Does that mean you want to get drunk with me?"

"That does sound like a good idea."

As he ordered his drink, Stella caught a look at his knuckles. "So it's true," she murmured, taking a hold of his hand. "You really did deck Danny."

He shrugged. "Bastard deserved it."

"What exactly did he do?"

Flack took a long drink, hoping the alcohol would start to work quickly. "Cheated on Monroe."

Stella's eyes went hard. "What?"

"You heard me."

She dropped her face into her hands, resting her elbows on the bar. "God, I've been so wrapped up in my own problems that I didn't even notice there was something wrong."

Flack watched her for a moment, taking in the tired sag of her shoulders, the defeat in her voice. "What's wrong, Stell? You've been...off, the past couple days or so."

She glanced over at him. "I thought we were getting drunk."

"Maybe that's not the best idea."

"You have a better one?"

Flack stared at her for a moment. Stella was his friend - she had been for a long time now. And he couldn't talk to Danny or Lindsay about what was bothering him, when they were both the problem. And he didn't want to bring something like this to Mac, since it would mean airing all the drama going on in the lab. But he was fairly certain that he could talk to Stella, and he could see that she needed someone as well.

"Maybe we could just talk," he said quietly, praying that she wouldn't shoot him down.

Stella regarded him, her eyes searching his. There was a desperate need in his expression, and she realized that it mirrored her own. "I've got some strong tea back at my place."

Flack nodded. "Tea sounds great."

When they got to Stella's apartment, they both kicked off their shoes, and Flack took off his jacket and tie, laying them over the back of the recliner. Stella went into the kitchen and made their tea, finding Don sitting on the edge of her couch when she came back in. Giving him a small smile, she handed him his cup and then took a seat next to him, curling her feet under her.

For a long time they just sat there. The tea was hot and strong, as Stella had promised, and Flack was surprised to find that it was ten times more soothing than the alcohol would have been. Leaning back against the cushions, he sighed.

"So which one of us goes first?"

Stella chuckled at that. "I've never been very good at opening up."

He glanced at her. "Does that mean it would be easier if I started?" When she nodded shyly, he took a deep breath. If he didn't tell her, he wouldn't tell anybody, and he knew that he couldn't carry this inside of him. "Lindsay kissed me."

Stella almost dropped her cup. Staring at Flack in obvious shock, her brain steadfastly refusing to function. "Excuse me?"

"I found her in the locker room today. She was cryin' 'cause of what Danny did...I was tryin' to be there for her, to be a good friend...And then she kissed me. And I couldn't stop her, Stell...hell, I didn't even wanna try."

And for the first time, Stella saw it. It was written all over his face, and she could hear it every word, see it in every gesture - Don Flack was in love with Lindsay. Reaching out slowly, she took his hand in hers.

"Oh, Don," she whispered.

He shook his head, refusing to look at her as his eyes filled against his will. "But I couldn't do it, Stell. I knew she didn't want me. She just wanted to hurt Messer, and I was the best way to do that."

Stella was suddenly furious with Lindsay. She knew that there was no way the other woman suspected that Flack had feelings for her, but that didn't excuse her actions. Instead of dealing with the pain, she had tried to use a friend to get back at Danny - and in the process, she had broken Flack's heart.

He looked over at her. "Don't," he said quietly, squeezing her hand.

"Don't what?"

"Don't get mad at Monroe. She didn't mean to hurt anybody."

"Except Danny."

"Yeah, but he deserves it."

"She still should have known better."

Flack's eyes slid away and he nodded. "Yeah," he said dully. "Yeah."

Watching him, Stella knew that it was her turn to open up. She hated letting people in, telling them what was bothering her. But Flack had laid his heart out on the table for her to see, and she owed the same to him in return. And right now, she was fairly certain that he was the only one who could understand what she was going through.

"Mac is seeing someone." When Flack looked at her in confusion, she dropped her eyes, unable to look at him. "I found out the same day I was going to tell him how I felt about him."

Realization dawned on him as he saw that he wasn't the only who had been carrying a torch for the past couple of years. He mimicked her earlier gesture by squeezing her hand.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

She shrugged, frustrated that the tears were once again building in her eyes. "Guess we have more in common than I thought."

He reached out, gently tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "Then maybe we could help each other through it."

She looked at him warily. "How?"

Flack shrugged. "By hangin' out, talkin'...stuff friends do. I don't really think we got anyone else we can turn to right now, Stell."

Rolling her eyes, she nodded. "Ain't that the truth," she whispered.

She watched him for another minute or two before moving closer, and hesitantly resting her head on his shoulder. Flack wrapped one of his arms around her, pulling her closer as he lifted his feet up to rest on her coffee table. It was awkward at first, both of them stiff and nervous. But as the minutes ticked by, they grew more comfortable with each other and relaxed a little.

"I have one condition," Flack said suddenly, "but I don't want you to laugh at me."

Stella glanced up at him, frowning in confusion. "What is it?"

He took a deep breath. "No comfort sex."

She wanted to laugh, to brush his words off with a wave of her hand. She might have, too, if the same thought hadn't crossed her own mind only minutes before. Instead, she just nodded.

"Agreed."

Flack nodded, kissing the top of her head and pulling her close again. "Good. You're all I got left right now, Stell. I can't lose you, too."

Stella rested her head on his chest, staring at her feet as they rested next to Don's.

"You won't," she whispered.


	3. Sore

The seating was awkward, though no one mentioned it. Stella made sure that she stayed close to Flack, but tried to avoid Lindsay and Mac as well. Seating herself between Danny and Don, she watched to see where everyone else would end up at the round table. Hawkes sat next to Messer, with Lindsay on the other side of him. Adam and Mac rounded out the group, although Stella noticed how uncomfortable Flack was sitting next to his boss. His body shifted just a little to his right, so that she could feel his hand brush against hers. Stella couldn't help but relax a little, knowing that he was by her side.

After ordering their drinks, the team sat there, everyone seeming to avoid their coworkers' eyes. The silence started to become uncomfortable, and Danny shifted nervously.

"Rough case," he murmured.

Don nodded in agreement. "It's always bad when there are kids involved."

Lindsay frowned, avoiding Danny's eyes. "It certainly didn't help that the dad was sleeping around."

At her words, Stella glanced up, meeting her friend's eyes with a hard look. "Doesn't justify what the mother did, no matter what way you look at it."

There was ice in her words, and no one at the table missed it. Lindsay looked at her in surprise, trying to decipher what lay behind the coldness. But Stella's eyes had already slid away, and Don was watching her carefully. Lindsay saw his arm move slightly, and she realized that he was reaching under the table, probably taking Stella's hand in his. Her confusion mounting, she looked for something else to say, but the waitress was back and handing out their drinks.

Knowing that the subject needed to be changed, and some of the tension drained, Hawkes held up his glass.

"To getting the guy," he said loudly.

Nobody could deny that. Raising their drinks, they all murmured their assent and let their glasses clink against one another - though Hawkes noticed how careful some of them were to make sure their hands didn't touch.

"So, Mac..." Danny said after taking a long pull from his beer. "Where's Michelle?"

His expression tightened. "Working."

Danny frowned. "Come on...she was too busy to come out for a couple drinks?"

"Yeah."

Stella heard the pain his voice, and it took everything she had to keep from twisting her head around to stare at him. Something had happened; she would bet money that something had gone wrong. But even though she desperately wanted to ask about it, she knew that now wasn't the time. Carefully keeping her face blank, she glanced over at him, seeing the tightness of his shoulders. He looked so tired and worn, that she longed to reach out and touch him. At her side, Flack shifted suddenly, and Stella's eyes moved to his. He was watching her carefully, taking in her movements, and she could see the worry in his face. Giving him a small smile, she struggled to pull her mind from Mac, and to focus on the conversation that Adam and Danny were having.

And that was how the rest of the night of the evening went. Instead of all talking and laughing together, separate conversations sprang up around the table, as some of the C.S.I.s and detectives did their best to avoid looking each other in the eye. Drinks were consumed - in some cases, rapidly - and more were ordered. Instead of easing the tension, though, it caused everyone to withdraw a little more, with the possible exception of Hawkes and Adam. The latter grew loud as he tried to pull others into conversation with him. Sheldon, on the other hand, kept his drinking to a minimum as he watched his friends, trying to decipher the layers of pain he saw all around him.

Finally, around ten, they started to drift away. Draining the last of her margarita, Lindsay stood, wavering on her feet just a little.

"I'm going home," she announced.

Hawkes watched as Danny stared at her, and he could see that the other man wanted to join her. But for reasons unknown to him, he stayed put, and Sheldon stood up instead.

"I'll help you catch a cab."

She flashed him a grateful smile, and they headed out together, both unaware of the way Danny and Don's eyes followed them closely. Flack realized what he was doing and shook himself, casting a nervous glance at Danny before taking another drink from his beer.

"I believe that's my cue as well," Mac said, rising to his feet.

He looked over at Stella quickly, but when she didn't meet his eyes, he turned and walked toward the door. Stella tried to stay in her seat, but eventually she leaned over to Flack.

"I'm going to walk with him. See if he's alright."

Don let his eyes meet hers, letting him see the worry there. "Are you sure?" he asked, his tone heavy.

"He's still my friend, Don."

He nodded, knowing that there wasn't anything he could say to make her change her mind. "Be careful."

Giving him a sad smile, she kissed him on the cheek. "I'll call you later."

When she was gone as well, and Adam had disappeared out the door, Flack looked over at Danny, frowning at how dejected his friend looked. Heaving himself out of his chair, he walked over and clapped him on the back.

"C'mon, man. I'll walk ya home."

"What am I, your girlfriend?"

"Sue me for wantin' to make sure ya don't stumble into the street and get killed. Now get your ass up and let's go."

"Alright, alright. What's got you so pissed?"

"I'll tell ya later."

"No you won't."

Flack nodded as they moved toward the door. "You're right. I probably won't."

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After getting outside, Hawkes and Lindsay decided that it would be just as easy to walk to her place as it was to find a cab. They went slowly, both seemingly lost in their own worlds. But Sheldon kept a watch on her out of the corner of his eye, seeing the way her shoulders slumped in apparent defeat. He hated to see her so beaten down, and from the way things had gone at the pub, he was sure that Danny was the reason for whatever pain she was in.

Hawkes didn't hate him - in fact, he had thought it a good thing when they finally got together. He had never seen Lindsay smile so much, and it was almost easy for him to pocket away the little crush he had developed. But lately he could see that things were strained between them, and Sheldon hated the idea that Danny may have broken her heart.

"This is me."

He looked up to realize that they had reached her apartment building. Looking over at her, he stretched out a hand, resting it gently on her arm.

"You know you can talk to me, right?"

She opened her mouth to respond to him, but whatever she was going to say seemed to get caught in her throat. Blinking away the tears that had suddenly built up, she tried to give him a reassuring smile. "It's nothing."

"And by that, you mean it's Danny."

Her bottom lip trembled as she shrugged. "We're not together anymore."

"I'm sorry, Lindsay," he said quietly, and she could tell that he meant it.

"I'll be okay," she whispered.

But she wasn't okay right then, and Hawkes pulled her into a tight hug. They had never really done this before - comforted each other - but he saw no reason to just walk away and leave her alone. Holding her close, he felt her relax just a little against him, and he was surprised at how he warmed up at the thought of easing her pain even the slightest bit. When they finally pulled apart, he stayed close, searching her eyes.

Lindsay smiled at him again. "I'd invite you up for a drink, but I think I've already had enough."

Sheldon nodded, taking her face in his hands gently. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Good." He kissed her forehead softly. "Don't forget that I'm here, Lindsay - whatever you need."

"Thanks, Hawkes."

Nodding once, he let go of her face and turned away. Lindsay watched him hail a cab and climb in, waving as the car pulled away from the car. Then she sighed, turning and walking up to her painfully empty apartment.

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"Talk to me, Mac."

He glanced over at her as they walked through the park, but he was careful not to meet her eyes. "I'm fine."

She chuckled. "You're an awful liar, you know that?"

That brought a small smile to his face. "You always could see right through me."

They stopped walking and turned to face each other. Stella watched him carefully, taking in the way his hands were shoved into the pockets of his coat, and the worry lines around his eyes. Everything about him screamed that he was tired, and not just physically.

"Why didn't Michelle come?" she asked quietly. And from the way he almost winced, she knew that she had hit the nail on the head.

"Things between us...they haven't been going so smoothly."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "She's...distant, and angry. Nothing I say or do is right anymore. I keep asking her what's wrong, but she just pushes me away and throws herself into her work." Mac stopped when he saw the way Stella was looking at him. "What?"

She shrugged. "Nothing, it's just...I remember when you were like that. It was right after Claire died."

"You think she lost someone?" he asked slowly.

"I think she's going through something, and she probably needs you more than ever."

Mac sighed. "Then why won't she talk to me?"

Stella gave him a small smile. "Because you're so good with the communicating."

He sighed again, looking down at the ground. "It shouldn't be this hard, Stella."

She watched him for a second longer before reaching out and pulling him to her. His arms wrapped around her almost immediately, and they stood there in the middle of the park, holding each other tightly. Mac buried his face in the crook of her neck, and Stella closed her eyes against the sensations running through her body. She didn't know why she was defending Michelle - she knew that if she really wanted to, she could convince Mac that he should walk away. He was so broken and beaten right now that he was more easily susceptible to persuasion, and more willing to walk away. But she knew how much Michelle meant to him - she could see it every time he talked about the other detective. And as much as it broke her heart, she could never counsel him to make a decision that would hurt him so deeply.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, pulling away until they were almost nose-to-nose. "I shouldn't be burdening you with all of this."

"It's okay, Mac," she breathed, every word like a knife in her gut. "That's what friends are for."

He stared at her for a moment, everything around them falling still. Leaning forward, a confused look in his eyes, he brushed his lips against hers, sighing at the contact. "Stella."

And then it was all happening too fast. His mouth was on hers again, but it was more forceful, more desperate than before. He clung to her, pulling her body roughly against his even as his fingers dug into her flesh. Stella kissed him back, her knees turning to water as his tongue invaded her mouth. She was grateful that he was holding onto her so tightly, because otherwise she was afraid that she might just melt into the ground. Her fingers tangled in his short hair as she pulled herself closer, still amazed that this was actually happening, that a simple hug between friends had turned into something so much more...

She pulled back so suddenly that they both stumbled a little. Mac opened his eyes slowly, staring at her in confusion and wonderment as they both struggled to catch their breath.

"Stella," he breathed.

She shook her head firmly, squeezing her eyes shut. "We can't do this," she said, trying desperately to keep her voice steady.

Mac sighed and he finally let go of her body. "I'm sorry, Stella. I'm so sorry."

Giving him a watery smile, she took a step back. "It's okay, Mac. I know...I know it didn't mean anything." She inwardly steeled herself. "I know that you're just upset."

He shook his head. "I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have lost control."

"Mac, stop," she said gently. "Just go. Find out what's bothering her and fix things." She took a deep breath. "You two fit together too well to just walk away from this."

Reaching out, he gently stroked the side of her face. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No. I'll be fine," she whispered.

He kissed her on the cheek, making sure that it was short and far away from her mouth. "Thank you, Stella."

She couldn't say anything back as he turned and disappeared into the night.

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Flack wasn't surprised when the pounding on his door started. He hadn't expected things to go well with Mac, and when he opened the door to find a crying Stella in front of him, he silently cursed the man that he had once revered. Her eyes met his, and a sick feeling built in the pit of his stomach as he was faced with a look that he knew all too well.

"He kissed me," she told him, her voice breaking.

Don's arms were around her immediately, dragging her body against his. He held her tightly, running a hand through her dark curls as the dam broke and she burst into sobs against his shoulder.

"And you walked away," he whispered, making it a statement instead of a question.

"He doesn't want me," she cried. "I can't be someone's rebound, Don. Not even his."

He closed his eyes, feeling her pain and knowing exactly what she was going through. Backing them into the apartment, he kicked the door shut. Stella wept harder, clinging to him desperately as she let everything go; Flack simply tightened his hold on her as he maneuvered them to teh couch, where he pulled her into his lap.

"Oh sweetheart," he murmured.


	4. Sick

"Hey, Stella."

She looked up to see Hawkes walking toward her, taking off his lab coat as he went. They both reached for hangers to put up their coats, Stella grabbing her leather jacket and slipping it on.

"Hey, Sheldon. Heading out?"

"Yeah, finally." He looked around, frowning. "Where's Lindsay? I thought she was until five with us today."

Stella's eyes tightened. "She wasn't feeling well. Mac sent her home early."

Hawkes noticed the tension in his friend's voice, but decided to ignore it for the moment. "It's nothing serious, I hope."

She shrugged. "Something about a sore throat."

Sighing, he stopped, waiting for her to do the same. "Alright, Stella. What gives?"

"What do you mean?"

"You and Lindsay used to be tight. Now all of a sudden you're snapping at each other, and she's looking like a puppy that's been kicked. So what happened?"

Stella shook her head. "It's complicated."

"Too complicated to explain to a friend? I don't even think Lindsay knows why you're upset."

For just a second, he thought that she was going to open up to him. He could see the pain in her eyes, and how heavily this problem was weighing on her. But as the time passed, she seemed to gather her strength, and when she met his gaze again, he knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere.

"I'm sorry, Sheldon. I can't. Not yet."

He nodded. "I understand. But, Stella...don't wait too long to talk to Lindsay. She's really hurting with all this Danny and she feels alone -"

Stella shrugged. "Maybe she wouldn't feel so alone if she hadn't hurt other people."

Hawkes stared at her in shock - he had never heard Stella be so openly hostile to someone, especially to a friend. He wanted to press her, to make her talk about what had happened to make her turn so cold, but she was obviously done. Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving him standing in her wake.

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When the knocking started, Lindsay stared at the door in disgust. Her throat was raw and scratchy, and her entire body ached. All she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and go to sleep, but she had been to lazy to stop at the pharmacy on the way home from work. So now she just lay on the couch in misery, wondering why she had to get sick on top of everything else that was going wrong in her life.

But the knocking was gentle, and she was fairly certain that Danny would have been pounding and yelling through the door. Pushing herself up from the cushions, she stumbled to the door, opening it without even bothering to check the peephole.

"You look awful," Hawkes said, looking at her critically.

"Wow, you really know how to make a girl feel special."

"Sorry," he said sincerely. "But I'm hoping because I bring medicine and soup, you'll forgive me and let me in anyway."

Lindsay couldn't help but smile. "Well, in that case..."

Standing aside, she held the door open for him as he stepped inside. She looked at the couch, suddenly disgusted with the mess of tissues and blankets, but Hawkes didn't blink at any of it. He simply took a seat next to her and turned to face her.

"I hear you have a sore throat?" She nodded and he gave her a sympathetic smile. "Open up?"

She did, and Hawkes did a cursory inspection. Checking her throat, he also felt along the lymph nodes in her neck. When he was done with that, he took her temperature, frowning when he saw the results.

"Well, you don't have strep."

"What? But my throat is killing me!"

He shrugged. "No white spots. I'm sorry to say, it's just a cold."

"Ugh," she said, flopping back against the cushions.

"When was the last time you slept?" he asked.

"Two or three nights ago."

"Then lucky for you have the perfect solution."

Reaching into the plastic bag he had brought, Hawkes pulled out a box of pills. Lindsay peered closer so that she could read the label.

"NyQuil?" she asked.

He gave her a smile. "So you can sleep like a baby. Now, when was the last time you ate?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"Well, then you have to have the soup first. You can't take pills on an empty stomach."

He reached into the bag again and pulled out a Tupperware container full of chicken noodle soup. Getting up from the couch, he made his way to her kitchen, searching until he found a bowl and spoon before heating the soup in the microwave. Lindsay watched him closely, amazed at how he was going out of his way to take care of her. It had been months since she felt safe and protected, and his kindness was almost enough to move her to tears.

"Do you want some help?" she called.

Hawkes stuck his head back out and smiled at her. "You're sick. Stay."

A couple minutes later and the soup was ready. Wrapping a towel around the hot bowl, Sheldon carried it out to her, sitting next to her as she took it and began eating.

"This is really good," she murmured.

"My mother's recipe."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "As a doctor...does chicken noodle soup really do anything when you're sick?"

"Not really. But it's warm and comforting, and you're more likely to get better if your body is relaxed and lets itself recuperate. So it can't hurt."

"I like that reasoning." She paused, looking over at him. "Do you want something to eat?"

Hawkes just smiled. "I'm okay."

The rest of the soup was consumed in silence, and when it was gone, Lindsay had to admit that she felt much better. Without a word, Sheldon took out two pills and handed them to her, along with a bottle of ginger ale he had brought with him. She took them gratefully, her body suddenly begging for the sleep it had been missing out on.

"Now it's time for you to sleep," he said gently.

"Stay," she whispered, her voice small. "I'm so tired of being alone."

"I'll stay until you fall asleep," he promised.

Lindsay stretched out on the couch, resting her head on the pillows she had brought in from her bedroom. Hawkes covered her with a blanket, making sure that she was tucked in tightly.

"You comfortable?" he asked.

She nodded. "Thank you."

He shrugged. "It seemed like you needed a friend."

Closing her eyes, Lindsay felt the tears building in her eyes. "Everything is so screwed up," she whispered.

"Talk to me," he urged quietly. "What happened?"

"It all started with Danny," she mumbled, her head starting to get groggy from the medicine - she had always been a lightweight when it came to that stuff. "He cheated on me."

"Oh, Lindsay..."

"And then Flack...I don't know what I was thinking. I just...I needed to feel safe, and he always makes me feel safe..."

Hawkes looked at her closely. "Wait. Are you saying that you and Flack...?"

She shook her head firmly. "No." Her voice grew small. "But I would have if he had let me...I get why he's avoiding me. I'm sure I made him really uncomfortable. But Stella...she's my best friend, and she'll barely talk to me."

Slowly, things began to fall into place for Hawkes. He looked down at Lindsay with sadness and pity - she had been handed a raw deal, but on top of that she had made some bad decisions. Reaching out, he brushed the hair out of her face, feeling some of the tension leave her at his gentle touch. She deserved so much better than all of this, and yet Sheldon didn't know how to make any of it better for her.

"Flack probably told Stella what happened between the two of you. He couldn't go to Danny or Mac with it..."

Lindsay closed her eyes. "Oh God," she groaned. "She must hate me."

"She'll get over it," he insisted. "And right now there's nothing you can do."

She opened her eyes, and he saw that they were full of tears. "I made a mess of everything," she whispered.

"It's nothing that can't be fixed."

Staring at him for a minute, she sniffed. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Am I usually mean to you?"

That brought out a small smile. "No."

"You're my friend," he said firmly, looking her in the eye. "And I care about you."

Her eyes fluttered closed again, and Hawkes knew that the medicine was dragging her down to sleep. "Thank you," she murmured.

He rubbed his thumb against her cheek, smiling down at her as her eyes stayed closed and her breathing evened out. "Anything for you," he whispered.


	5. Broken

"Stella."

She stopped as she was passing his office and walked in, keeping her face carefully blank.

"Yeah?"

"Close the door, please."

She knew what was coming, and she didn't want to hear it. But she also knew that saying that wouldn't make things better, so she shut the door firmly before turning to face him.

"I was hoping we could talk," he said quietly.

She held up a hand. "Mac, you don't -"

"I do," he said firmly. When she didn't argue with him, he came around the desk, sitting on the corner of it. "Do you want to sit?" he asked, gesturing toward the chair in front of him.

"I'm fine."

Mac nodded, understanding. For a minute they just stood there, not talking, not looking directly at the other. For Stella, it seemed to stretch into eternity, and she suddenly felt as though she'd been standing there forever, just waiting for him to do something. When he finally did, she found that it wasn't what she had been anticipating.

"Michelle and I worked things out."

The words hit her like an avalanche. She had steeled herself for this talk, knowing that it was coming sooner or later. Mac could never just let something like that kiss go - it must have been eating away at him for the past few weeks.

She suddenly realized that he was waiting for her to say something. And for the first time, Stella knew with absolute certainty that she and Mac could never be anything more than friends.

"Are you happy?" she asked quietly, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"Yes."

She gave him a sad smile, her eyes watering against her will as her heart broke all over again. "Then I'm glad for you," she whispered.

Something must have shown in her eyes, because Mac frowned, pushing away from the desk and taking a step towards her.

"Stella -"

Backing up a step, she held up a hand to stop him. "Please," she said. "It's okay, Mac."

She saw it in his face, realization dawning on him slowly as he finally saw all the things he had been missing over the past few years.

"Stella," he said again. "I'm sorry."

She shrugged, edging towards the door. "It's not your fault. I just...I need you to give me some space, Mac. It's going to take some time to get over this."

He nodded, but she could see the pain in his eyes. Stella knew then that he had never meant to hurt her, that he had never even suspected that she had feelings for him. Smiling at him again and ignoring the tear that ran down her face, she stepped forward and paced a light kiss on his cheek.

"Don't worry, Mac," she whispered. "You're still one of my best friends."

With that, she turned and left the office, closing the door firmly behind her.

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Mac walked over to Don's desk, noticing the tightness around the younger man's eyes. It seemed that the entire team was drowning in tension lately, but their work hadn't suffered in the least, and it didn't seem as though anyone outside of the office had noticed. Flack's pain was palpable, though he didn't say anything. Mac had tried to talk to him more than once, but every time he got the cold shoulder, with Don mumbling something about everything being fine.

"Do you have that report for me, Don?"

He didn't even look up. Snatching a few papers off of his desk, he handed them to Mac, seemingly engrossed in whatever else he was doing.

"Is everything alright, Flack?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure? Because I can't help but think that I've done something to upset you."

Finally glancing up, Flack opened his mouth to respond, but a movement behind Mac caught his eye and he stopped for just a moment in hesitation. Then his eyes flicked back up to the older detective and he shrugged.

"Don't worry about it, Mac," he said, his voice heavy with fatigue.

But Mac had seen Don glance over, and he had seen that the figure that had caught his attention was Stella. Slowly, things began to fall into place. He sighed, lowering his voice.

"I never meant to hurt her."

Flack stood up suddenly, knocking it back. "Yeah, well, ya did!" Struggling to control himself, he leaned in, pointing his finger directly at Mac's chest. "You used her, and you broke her heart. You were so caught up in your own shit that ya never even thought about what she was goin' through."

"I didn't mean to, Don," he repeated quietly.

Flack sighed, his anger dissipating. "It doesn't matter now, does it? We almost never mean to, Mac. But we do. We do."

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Stella looked up from her book at the knock on her door. As soon as her shift was over, she had gone home, taking a hot bath and opening a bottle of wine. Her plans for the rest of the night involved curling up on her couch, and she wasn't happy that someone had decided to interrupt her. Despite her initial desire to ignore it, though, she got up. It might be Flack, and she was always willing to see him -

"Hey, Stella."

The older woman just stood there, staring at her. It had been more than three months since Flack had told her about the kiss, and she had done her best to avoid Lindsay in any personal manner since. She knew that it was mean - perhaps even cruel - to cut her off without telling her why. But she had been so angry at Lindsay's recklessness, at her disregard for other people's feelings. Whether she had known about Flack's feelings or not was irrelevant. She had been trying to hurt Danny, and had used Don to do it. Every time Stella thought about the pain she had seen in Don's eyes, rage built up inside of her. And now Lindsay was standing in front of her, a wary expression on her face.

"Hey."

Lindsay shuffled her feet. "Can I come in?"

Stella knew she couldn't just slam the door in her face. Taking a deep breath, she stood aside, letting her into the apartment. She turned slowly once Lindsay was inside, not entirely sure what to say or do.

"I know you're mad at me."

Stella frowned. "What?"

"I know you're mad at me," Lindsay repeated. "I even know why. At least...I think I do." She paused, looking down at the floor for a moment before raising her eyes again. "I didn't mean to hurt him."

Stella gave a hollow laugh. "Yeah, well. There seems to be a lot of that going around these days. Hell, I'm sure Danny didn't _mean_ to hurt you."

Lindsay looked at her sharply. "That's not the same."

"Isn't it, though?" She sighed. "What are you doing here, Lindsay?"

"I came because...because I needed someone to talk to. Because I miss my friend. God, Stella! I have nowhere else to go with this!"

At the desperation in Lindsay's voice, Stella's resolve began to soften. Sighing, she moved to the kitchen.

"You want some wine."

Lindsay gave her a small smile. "I'd love some."

Nodding, Stella poured another glass of wine and brought it back into the living room. Then she gestured for Lindsay to sit next to her, and for awhile the two women drank in silence. Finally, Lindsay finished her glass and set it on the table in front of them.

"I've been spending a lot of time with Hawkes."

"I noticed." Lindsay frowned at her, and she shrugged. "Just because I've been mad at you doesn't mean I've gone blind."

The younger woman nodded. "He's been a good friend. After Danny...and then Flack...and then you...I had no one else. I'm really grateful for him."

"Then why aren't you talking to him?"

"Because he's what I need to talk about. Stella...I think he might have feelings for me." She grimaced. "God, that sounds so pretentious."

"Do you have feelings for him?"

"I don't know."

Stella set her glass down, and saw that her hand was shaking. "You're unbelievable."

Lindsay frowned. "What?"

"You. You jump from one guy to the next, as though your actions don't have any consequences. Do you even _think_ about their feelings?"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about -"

"God, do you have any idea how selfish you are?"

That was too much for Lindsay. She stood up, staring down at her friend in disbelief. "Who the hell do you think you are!? I came to you for advice - not to be talked down to!"

"You want advice?" Stella asked, standing up as well. "How about you stop stringing these guys along just so you can deal with your own pain!"

"What are talking about?"

"Hawkes and Flack! God, you're so wrapped up in yourself that you don't even see it, do you? Flack is in love you. It was hard enough for him to watch you fall for his best friend, but then to try and use him to hurt Danny -"

Lindsay's face fell and her voice was small. "I didn't know -"

"And Hawkes!" Stella raged on, unable to stop herself now that she was really going. "Who are you kidding? You don't have feelings for him! You're still in love with Danny!"

Her eyes hardened. "That's not fair."

"But it's the truth. And you have no right to drag these two through hell while you try and figure out what you want."

Lindsay nodded, her eyes full of tears. "I'll go," she murmured.

"Lindsay, wait."

But the other woman just kept walking, letting herself out of the apartment without another word.

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"You look like shit," Danny commented as he sat down.

Flack glared at him. "Thanks."

"I mean it. I know why I look like shit. I cheated on the best thing that ever happened to me. What's your excuse?"

Don sidestepped the question. "How's that goin'? Monroe talkin' to you yet?"

Danny sighed. "If it's about a case, it's almost like nothin' ever happened. But the second I try to take it any further...I miss her."

"She misses you too, Messer. She just needs time."

"You think she'll actually give me another chance?"

Flack shrugged, his eyes dull. "You two fit. For better or worse, I don't think either of you belongs with anyone else."

Danny watched his friend for a long moment. "C'mon man...what's eatin' you? We come here every few days, and you listen to me bitch about my problems, but you don't even tell me what's got you so down."

Don stared at his beer, thinking. "You ever want somethin' so bad, that it's all you think about? And then suddenly realize that you want somethin' completely different?"

"We're talkin' about a woman, right?"

Flack sighed. "I don't know what we're talkin' about anymore." His cell phone rang, and he frowned as he pulled it out of his pocket to answer it. "If this is work, I swear...Hello? Yeah...yeah...are you sure? Yeah, I'll be right there." He snapped the phone shut, throwing a few bills onto the bar. "I gotta go."

"Somethin' wrong?"

"That was the bartender over at Finnigan's. Apparently Stella's wasted."

"You need help."

"Nah, man. I got it." He clapped Danny on the back. "Thanks, though."

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He found her sitting in a corner booth, her head in her hands, a half-empty glass in front of her. She looked so empty, so...defeated, that it hurt him to watch her. Stella had always been the strong one, the one to survive anything that life threw at her. And now it wasn't a homicidal boyfriend or a bullet that was dragging her down, but a tangle of emotions that all of them were trapped in. Moving forward, he quietly took a seat next to her.

"Go away," she said, not picking her head up.

"Can't do that, Stell."

She looked up at the sound of his voice, her eyes wide with surprise. "It's you," she said softly.

"Who else would it be?"

She shrugged. "One of the many other people that I have no desire to see right now?" She gave him a small smile. "But I always want to see you."

Don returned the smile, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her against him. "How much have you had to drink, Stell?" he asked gently.

"Too much."

"You ready to go home?"

She nodded, and he gently helped her out of the booth. They stopped at the bar on their way out so that he could pay her bill, and then he led her outside, a cool breeze whispering through her hair. Holding her close against his side, Flack moved them down the street toward his car.

"You're warm," Stella murmured, burying her face in his shirt.

"You cold?" When she nodded, he stopped next to the car and shed his jacket. Then he wrapped it around her shoulders, running his hands up and down her arms. "There ya go."

Stella leaned against him, resting her head against his chest as she breathed him in. "You're so good to me, Don."

He held her against his body, squeezing her tightly. "That's what friends are for, Stell."

They stood like that for a long time. Don's body was warm, and soon that warmth spread into Stella. She relaxed against him a little more, her hands drifting to his sides. Slowly, she let her fingers move up and down, a thrill running up her spine at the way he shivered and held her closer. Moving her head up just a little, she kissed his neck, letting her tongue dart out and taste him.

Flack froze. "Stell..."

He was sure that he was going to lose his mind. Stella let her mouth drift up and down his throat, licking and kissing the skin as her hands tightened on his sides. The sensations were causing his nerve endings to explode, and even as he tightened his hold on her to push her away, he found himself pulling her closer. He knew that he had to put a stop to this, that he couldn't lose her as a friend, that this couldn't end well. They were both still hurting so much, that neither of them was thinking straight. That's what he needed to tell her, and he opened his mouth to do just that.

But then she found that spot right behind his ear lobe, and instead of words, Flack let out a low moan. Spinning her around, he pinned Stella against the car, enjoying the feel of her body touching every inch of his. She loosened his tie and undid the top buttons of his shirt, letting her mouth drift down onto his chest.

"You want me," she whispered, her voice awed. "You want me, too."

He did; he had no choice but to admit that to himself now. But that didn't change what he had to do. Closing his eyes, he threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling her head back until she was looking at him.

"We can't do this, Stell."

Her eyes were full of tears. "Why not?" she asked, her voice breaking. "We could make each other feel better."

"We can't -"

"And you want me too, Donnie. I can see it in your face. You want me."

Closing his eyes, Flack kissed her forehead. "Not like this. I can't lose you, Stell. Please...I can't lose you."

She stared at him for a minute, but then let her head fall back to his chest. "I'm sorry."

Don held her closely, running his hands through her hair. "Shhh. Don't worry about it."

"Take me home, Donnie."

"Yeah."

Slowly untangling himself, he opened the passenger side door and helped her in, buckling her seat belt. The drive to her apartment was quiet, and as he pulled up in front of her building, Flack realized that she had fallen asleep. Getting out of the car, he moved over to her side, unbuckling her and lifting her up. It wasn't easy to maneuver his spare key with her in his arms, but he managed to get her upstairs and into her bedroom without waking her up. Laying her down on the bed, he slid her shoes off and covered her up, letting his hand drift over her face.

Walking out into the living room, he realized just how tired he was, too. Knowing she wouldn't mind, Flack kicked his shoes off and grabbed a blanket and pillow out of the hall closet. And as he stretched out on the couch and closed his eyes, he wondered how they had all managed to tangle themselves so badly.


	6. Haunted

Flack watched as Stella packed up her kit. A cloth covered the victim's body, and another one covered the head that lay a couple feet away. But Don couldn't focus on the crime scene right then. the only thing on his mind was the woman in front of him.

He sighed as he saw how tense her shoulders were. It had been almost two weeks since he'd picked her up at the bar, and in that time she had barely spoken a word to him. Flack knew that she was embarrassed, too ashamed to really face him. But all he wanted was his friend back.

"C'mon," he said as she stood up. "I'll drive ya back to the lab."

She didn't look him in the eye. "Don't worry about it. I'll just catch a ride -"

"Messer's already gone," he cut in. "You're stuck with me."

Stella was silent as they went to the SUV, and she climbed into the passenger seat without looking over at him. Flack watched her out of the corner of his eye, sighing when he realized that she didn't intend on speaking to him. Starting the car, he pulled into traffic, but headed away from the lab.

She frowned. "What the hell -?"

"We need to talk."

Stella stared at him in disbelief. "So you're kidnapping me?"

"Would you talk to me otherwise?"

She turned her head, staring out the window. "Flack -"

He pulled the car over suddenly, parking next to the curb. Turning, he stared at her, his eyes boring into her.

"We need to talk, Stella. I can't take this anymore."

She shook her head, fumbling with her seat belt. "I can't," she whispered.

Without another word, she was unbuckled and out of the car. Flack cursed, fumbling with his own restraint as he threw his door open, not caring when a car flew by and honked angrily at him. Rushing around the car, he chased after Stella, following her as she headed down an empty alley. His long legs gave him the advantage and he soon caught up to her, spinning her around and pressing her against the wall.

"Stell," he said, breathing hard, "Please. Talk to me."

The tears were flowing freely now as Stella once again shook her head. "I'm so sorry," she told him.

"It's okay," he said quietly.

"It's not okay!" she yelled. "All those things I've been so mad at Lindsay for...using somebody to stop her own pain...that's exactly what I did to you! Don't you get it, Don? I'm a hypocrite! I yelled at her for hurting you and then I turned around and did the same thing! I -"

Flack rested his thumb on her lips, stilling her speech. She stared at him in surprise, and he gave her a small smile. "I forgive you," he said firmly.

Her lower lip trembled and her eyes filled again. "Why?"

Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead before pulling her into his arms. Stella rested her head on his chest, sinking into him as he wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like that for a few minutes, ignoring the sounds of the city for as long as they could.

"You're my friend, Stell," he murmured, his hands rubbing circles on her back. "Aside from Messer, you're my best friend. I know you didn't mean to hurt me, that you were hurting so much you didn't want to be alone. I can forgive that."

She sniffed. "Did you forgive Lindsay?"

"Yes."

Stella closed her eyes, burying her face in his shirt. "I hated her for hurting you," she whispered. "I didn't want to be the one to cause you any pain."

Pulling away slightly, Don took her face in his hands, making sure she looked him in the eye. "We're human, Stell. We're gonna hurt each other. But I know you didn't mean to." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I want you back, Stell. I hate doin' this - any of it - without you. I miss you."

"I miss you, too," she said, more tears falling down her face.

He smiled, wiping her cheeks. "Then let's go back to where we were."

Stella finally smiled, and Flack felt a load lift off of his shoulders. She nodded, reaching up and kissing him on the cheek.

"Thanks, Don," she said. "For not letting me go."

He turned to lead them back to the car, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and tucking her into his side. "I told ya, Bonasera," he said with a smile. "You're stuck with me."

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"We forgot dessert," Lindsay pouted as she and Hawkes put the dishes away in his kitchen.

He smiled at her, holding up a hand. "_You_ may have forgotten dessert. I, on the other hand, did not."

Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out a box that said "Stephenie's Bakery" on the top. He set the box in front of Lindsay before slowly lifting the lid. When she saw what was inside, her eyes widened.

"Cupcakes?" she asked.

"Cupcakes," he confirmed, laughing. "I know they're your favorite, so..."

She reached into the box, pulling out a chocolate cupcake with green frosting. She had the wrapper almost completely off before she stopped, glancing over at her friend.

"Hawkes..." she said hesitantly, fighting back the nervousness that was growing in the pit of her stomach. "I...there's something I need to say to you."

Sheldon leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms and giving Lindsay a gentle look. "Is this the part where you tell me that you're still in love with Danny, and that you probably always will be?"

Lindsay faltered a little, not expecting his bluntness. "I...you've been a really good friend," she said, hating the way the words sounded as they came out of her mouth. "It's just..."

"You don't have feelings for me," he said quietly.

"No," she whispered.

He gave her a sad smile as he pushed off of the counter and came to stand in front of her. Reaching out, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ears before stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"I'm not gonna lie," he told her. "I'm interested. But I've known from the beginning that this wouldn't happen, Lindsay. It's all over your face how you feel about Danny. And I would never stand in the way of that. You don't have to worry about hurting me - I didn't have any expectations to begin with."

Tears sprang to her eyes. "You're a good friend, Sheldon," she whispered. "And I don't think I would have gotten through the past few months without you."

He nodded. "Can I give you a piece of advice then?"

"Of course."

"Don't wait too long with Danny. I know he hurt you. But I also know that you love him, and that this whole thing is killing him. I'm not saying you should try to just go back to where you were. But let him in a little. Let him be your friend again."

Smiling, she stepped forward and hugged him tightly. He returned the embrace, and they stayed like that for a little while before taking a step backwards.

"I have a few things I need to make right," she said quietly. "I should probably get started on them."

"With Danny?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Flack first. I owe him an apology...or ten." Lindsay looked down at her dessert. "After my cupcake though."

Hawkes laughed. "After," he agreed.

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Flack stared in shock when he saw Lindsay standing on his doorstep. She looked better than she had in months, and he couldn't help but smile at her as looked up at him.

"Hey."

"Hey. Can I come in?"

Don moved to the side. "Of course." She came in, and he led her over to the couch. "Do you want anything to drink?" he asked.

"I'm good. I just...I need to talk to you, Don."

He took a seat next to her. "About what?"

She stared down at her fingers, suddenly unsure of where to begin. "Everything, I guess," she shrugged. "We haven't really talked since..."

"You kissed me," he finished.

Lindsay nodded. "I really am sorry about that."

"You don't need to apologize, Linds. I just...after that..."

"Stella told me how you feel about me." When his head snapped up, she blushed. "She didn't mean to. She was yelling at me and it just came out -"

"Felt."

She frowned, peering at him closely. "What?"

"You said she told you how I feel about you...but it's how I _felt_ about you."

Lindsay breathed a quiet sigh of relief and reached out, taking his hand in hers. "I never meant to hurt you."

"I know."

She watched him for another moment, seeing the far-off look in his eyes. She wondered what he was thinking about, but slowly, things began to fall into place. Squeezing his hand, she brought his attention back to her.

"It's Stella, isn't it?"

Don frowned. "What?"

"You've fallen for her."

He shook his head. "No, it's just -"

"It's okay, Flack," she said gently. "I think it's a good thing."

He stopped objecting and stared at her. "Really?"

Lindsay nodded, smiling. "I think you two fit really well together."

Don shrugged, looking down. "I just wanna me sure it's real, ya know? I need to know that it's not comfort or just because we're lonely."

"Love is friendship set on fire." He frowned and Lindsay shrugged. "It's something I heard once. You and Stella are friends, right?"

"Yeah."

"Really good friends?"

Flack nodded. "Yeah."

"Then I think that's your answer. Make sure you know how you feel, Don, but after that...tell her. I think you'll both be happier."

He nodded again, thinking over what she had said. "And what about you?" he finally asked. "You gonna fix things with Danny?"

"I don't think it's that simple."

Flack shrugged. "Maybe you're overthinkin' it. Find the first step and work on takin' that. Don't try to get everything you had back all at once."

She smiled ruefully. "Hawkes basically said the same thing."

"We must be right, then."

Lindsay squeezed his hand. "I really hope you are."

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"Hey, Stella."

She looked up, surprised to see Michelle standing in the doorway to her office. "Hey."

The detective smiled at her. "I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch."

A few months ago, Stella would have said no; she would have searched for any and every excuse within reach to get out of having a real conversation with the woman standing in front of her. And she knew right then that she was at least on the way to getting over Mac, because it didn't hurt at all when she answered. "I'd love to."

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Danny had every intention of knocking on Stella's door, but he stopped when he heard her talking with Michelle. He knew that he shouldn't eavesdrop, but he also didn't want to interrupt their conversation. So he took a few steps back and waited, trying not to listen to what they were saying.

"Is Carmichael's okay with you?" Michelle asked.

"Yeah, that's fine." There was a pause, and Danny could hear her snapping her cell phone shut. "Do you know where Lindsay is?"

"No. Why? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I just need to apologize to her."

"For what?"

Stella sighed. "For yelling at her the other day."

"You yelled at her?" Michelle asked. "What for?"

"For stringing Hawkes along and kissing Flack. It's a really long story."

Suddenly, Danny couldn't remember what he had needed to tell Stella. Backing away from her door, he stumbled back down the corridor, his mind reeling and his fists clenching in anger.


	7. Distrust

Danny knew that he should probably stop and think about the situation. But his blood was boiling, and the only thing he could see was Don and Lindsay kissing. Stella's words echoed in his head, and he started to wonder if they had slept together, if they had been together this entire time. Sweat broke out on his forehead; steeling his resolve, he pounded on the door.

He meant to say something. On the drive over, he had run through a thousand speeches in his head. As Flack opened the door and faced him, however, only one thing came to mind.

He punched him.

Flack hadn't been expecting it, and the blow sent him back into his apartment, sliding along the floor on his back. His lip was split and bleeding, and he stared up at his friend in disbelief.

"What the fuck is your problem, Messer?"

But Danny found that he didn't have any words. He charged through the door instead, his face mottled with anger and hurt. Seeing that he wasn't going to stop, Flack struggled to his feet, standing just before Danny bent low and rammed his shoulder into his chest. Both men went down hard, slamming into one of the end tables next to the couch. The lamp clattered to the floor as Danny gained the upper hand, pummeling his friend over and over again.

"You bastard!!" he yelled.

Flack had had enough. He caught Danny's next punch in his hand and then threw out his own fist, knocking the other man backwards onto the floor. With the extra weight off of him, Don rose to his feet once more, and he saw that Danny was standing as well. Without waiting for his friend to take another swing, Flack moved in, landing a blow to Danny's stomach and then another to his face.

They kept hitting each other for awhile, but the anger was slowly seeping out of them. Danny was tired and bruised, and he realized that beating up his friend wasn't making him feel any better. Flack was still confused as to why they were fighting in the first place, and as Danny stopping throwing punches, he did as well. Finally, they both sank to the floor, leaning back against the couch.

"What the hell did you hit me for?" Flack finally asked, breathing heavily.

Danny lifted a hand, wiping some of the blood off of his mouth. "You been makin' time with my girl."

Don raised his eyebrows and stared at him incredulously. "_Your girl_? You mean Monroe? 'Cause let me tell ya somethin', Danny - she ain't your girl no more."

"I know that," he replied sullenly. "But that don't give you the right -"

"To what? You think I'm sleepin' with her?"

"I know you kissed her."

That shut Flack up for a minute. He looked at his friend, seeing the hurt in his eyes, and he knew he had to tell him what happened. It didn't matter if he beat the crap out of him - he deserved the truth.

"You're right. I did."

Danny's eyes hardened. "And you think that's okay?"

"No. Do you wanna hear what happened or you just gonna start swingin' again?" When he didn't make any move to get up, Don took a deep breath and continued. "It was about a couple weeks after you cheated on her. I found her cryin' in the locker room. I swear to God, Dan, I wasn't tryin' to make a move. I hugged her, and then...she kissed me."

"And you kissed her back?"

"Yeah, I did...and to be honest with ya, Dan...I wanted to."

"What?"

Flack dropped his eyes, refusing to look at him. "She kissed me, and all I wanted to do was kiss her back. So I did. 'Cause I was in love with her a long time before you were, Messer. And when I found out that you had fucked up and she was in my arms...I had every intention of takin' what I wanted."

"So you did sleep with her."

"No, I didn't. I kissed her, but that's as far as it went."

"But you said -"

"She didn't want me, Danny. She wanted to hurt you. And she wanted her own hurt to stop for just a little while. And as much as I wanted her, I couldn't do that to either of you."

Danny didn't know what to say. Flack's words shook him to the core, and he found himself looking at his friend in an entirely different light. Not once had he suspected that Don's feelings for Lindsay went any deeper than friendship. And now that he saw it, he realized what a struggle it must have been - both to watch Lindsay go out with his best friend, and to pull away when she offered him the very thing he wanted most.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I didn't know."

"You weren't supposed to."

Danny shifted uncomfortably. "Are you..." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Do you still have feelings for her?"

"No."

"What? You got over her?"

Flack nodded. "Remember that night in the bar? I asked if ya if you ever wanted somethin' really bad, only to realize that you wanted somethin' else entirely?"

"Yeah. That was the night you had to go pick up Stella -" He stopped. "Stella," he whispered.

"What can I say? I'm obviously a glutton for punishment."

Danny shook his head. "Nah. Stella feels the same way about you, Flack. You can see it in her eyes."

"I seem to have a penchant for falling for women who are interested in my friends."

"Mac, you mean?" Danny shrugged. "I always wondered...there was this...sexual tension between them for a long time. But things are different now, man. I don't know if you can see it, but...it's not there anymore. She doesn't..._look_ at him the same way anymore. Now she's only lookin' at you."

"I wish." Flack sighed. "What about you and Monroe? You gonna fix things or what?"

"She doesn't -"

"She does. She's been through hell these past few months, but she's startin' to come together again. I think it's about time you two talked."

"Maybe you're right."

"No maybe about it, Messer. Just don't fuck up again or I'll break your fuckin' neck, you got that?"

"Trust me, I got it. I don't ever wanna see that look in her eyes ever again." Danny paused, wincing as he shifted again. "Sorry I hit you, man."

Flack shrugged. "Eh. It was about time we had that fight anyway. I been wantin' to kick your ass since I found out about Rikki."

Danny winced again. "Please. Don't even mention her."

"She still across the hall?"

He shook his head. "Moved."

"Thank God."

"I know." He looked over at the kitchen. "You want a beer?"

Flack laughed. "Yeah. A beer sounds great."


	8. Fix Me

He got up and grabbed his suit jacket, following her out the door

He got up and grabbed his suit jacket, following her out the door. The night was cool and refreshing, and they walked for a long time without speaking. Mac knew that Stella had to be the one to start - she had come to him for a reason, and he wanted to give her the time to say whatever she needed to say.

"This is hard."

He glanced over at her, grimacing. "I'm sorry."

She stopped, shaking her head and smiling. "Not you and me, Mac. I mean...this. Talking...admitting things. It's hard."

Facing her, he slid his hands into his pockets and took a deep breath. "Stella, you don't have to -"

"I do, actually. Because I'd like my friend back, and I can't have that unless we clear the air."

Mac nodded, signaling for her to continue.

"We've always been close...and I don't know how it happened, Mac, but...I fell in love with you. I didn't mean to. I didn't want to. But I did. And that morning that I found out about you and Michelle...I was going to tell you."

He closed his eyes against the pain that went straight to his heart. "Stella, I -"

"Don't. Just let me finish. I'm not going to lie to you - it hurt. More than almost anything else I've endured. But you were happy...and in the long run, that was the only thing that mattered. " Stella looked down at her feet as they started walking again, trying to gather the rest of her thoughts. "I ran into Flack one night in a bar, and we started talking. It turned out that he was going through the same thing with Lindsay. So we kept talking, and we became really good friends."

"I'm glad you had someone," he said quietly.

Stella smiled. "Me too. I've learned a lot about Don in the past few months. He's really an amazing man. And somewhere along the way...I got over you and...and fell in love with him."

Mac stopped, turning to face her, a smile forming on his lips. "I thought so."

"You knew?"

He shrugged. "I knew something was happening between the two of you. At least on Flack's end. It's all over his face whenever he looks at you. I was hoping you felt the same about him. I think you're good for each other, Stella."

"I do, too. I would have told him earlier, but..."

"But what?"

"I had to be sure. We've spent so much time together, comforting each other, drying each other's tears...I had to make sure that it wasn't just comfort. I needed to know that what I felt for him was real."

"And do you know that now?"

Stella nodded. "I do. I knew it when I realized that I felt the same way about him that I did about you all those years...only more. Just thinking about him makes me grin like an idiot," she added, blushing slightly.

Mac smiled. "It's a good look for you."

"I'm sorry, Mac. For making all of this so difficult."

He shook his head, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I'm the one who's sorry," he corrected. "I hurt you, and I didn't even see it until it was too late."

They pulled apart and started walking again. The air between them felt lighter, and for the first time in a long while, they felt comfortable with each other.

"There's something I needed to tell you as well," Mac finally said.

"Yeah?"

"I want to ask Michelle to marry me."

Stella stopped, the smile bright and genuine on her face. "Mac, that's wonderful. Do you have a ring?"

He nodded, slipping his hand into his jacket pocket and pulling out a little black box. As he handed it to Stella, he watched her nervously.

"I've been thinking about it for a few weeks now. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to hurt you any more."

She looked up at him, reaching out and resting her hand on his cheek. "But now you know you're not." Opening the box, she stared in admiration at the ring placed in the center. "Oh, Mac," she whispered. "It's beautiful."

"You think she'll like it?"

"She'll love it." Stella closed the box and handed it back to him. "And she loves you. She'll say yes."

"I'm planning on asking her tomorrow."

"I expect a call from one of you letting me know how it went."

Mac smiled. "Of course. And I expect one to let me know when you've finally talked to Flack."

Stella blushed. "I haven't figured out when I'm going to do that yet."

He looked at her intently. "Do it soon, Stella. You both deserve to be happy."

"Soon," she promised, nodding her head. "Because you're right - we do deserve it."

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"Hey, Montana."

Lindsay glanced up to see Danny standing in the doorway of their office. It had been his day off, and she could tell that he had been out playing basketball, probably with Flack.

"Hey, Danny," she said quietly.

He came in, taking the chair from his desk and rolling it closer to her before sitting down. Resting his forearms on his thighs, he clasped his hands and looked at her.

"I was wonderin' if we could talk."

She gave him a small smile. "I'd like that."

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "I know I fucked up. I know I broke your heart. And I also know I can't ever undo that. But I'm so sorry, Lindsay."

She held up her hand to stop him. "I know you are, Danny. You don't have to apologize anymore. I just needed time to deal with things."

Danny nodded, staring down at the floor. "I miss you," he whispered.

"I miss you, too." When he looked up at her, she gave him a sad smile, reaching out to touch his cheek. "But we can't just go back, Danny. I'm not sure we can go back at all."

"I know that," he assured her. "But...is there any way I can get my friend back?"

Lindsay nodded. "I think we can do that."

He smiled then, and she realized just how much she had missed that. Neither of them had had cause to smile in so long, and it felt good.

"Do you wanna grab somethin' to eat then? It's not a date, I promise," he rushed to explain. "We can even invite Mac or Stella or Adam -"

Lindsay's face fell. "I have a date," she blurted.

Danny did everything he could to keep his face blank. "Oh."

"I'm sorry -"

He shook his head. "I got no right to ya anymore, Montana. Just make sure that this guy knows if he treats ya wrong, there'll be hell to pay."

On impulse, Lindsay reached out and hugged him fiercely. Danny closed his eyes, breathing her in, reminding himself over and over again that she wasn't his anymore, that this was as close as he was ever going to get. By the time she pulled away again, he had steeled himself as much as he could, and mustered the only smile he could find.

"Have fun," he told her.

She nodded as she grabbed her purse and jacket. "Lunch tomorrow?" she suggested.

He stood awkwardly, hands shoved into his pockets as he nodded once. "You got it."

"See you later, Danny."

He watched as she walked out of the office, and his heart sank. "Bye, Montana," he whispered.


	9. Blanket

Stella told herself not to be nervous, but of course, that didn't change the fact that she was

Stella told herself not to be nervous, but of course, that didn't change the fact that she was. Standing in front of her mirror, she ran her eyes over her clothes again, making sure that she looked casual, but presentable. She had chosen a pair of black slacks, and a blue shirt that Don had complimented more than once. Now all she had to do was convince herself to leave the apartment, and go knock on his door.

She had just grabbed her purse and keys when there was a knock on her own door. Frowning, she undid the locks and opened it, surprise making her stop and stare when she realized that it was Flack. A warm and nervous smile replaced her frown as she greeted him.

"Hey."

"Hey." He nodded at her purse and keys. "You're on your way out. I didn't mean to interrupt."

Stella shook her head. "No. Actually, I was just on my way to see you. Thought maybe you'd like to have dinner with me."

He smiled at her shyly. "Yeah? I was just comin' by to see if _you_ were hungry."

She laughed. "Sounds like fate to me. Do you want to go out or stay in? Either way works."

Flack moved into the apartment as she stepped aside. "I was hopin' I could cook for you."

Stella beamed at him. "Best offer I've had all day."

They slipped into their routine easily. Flack went into the kitchen and started up the stove, pulling out pasta and vegetables while Stella poured each of them a glass of wine. After handing him his drink, she leaned against the counter and watched him, noticing how at-home he was in her kitchen.

"I heard about Mac and Michelle," he said quietly.

"Yeah, he asked her a few days ago."

Flack looked up at her, concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

She smiled at him. "Actually, yeah. I'm happy for them. Mac and I had a good talk before he asked her. I told him...well, everything, really."

"Yeah?"

Stella nodded. "I needed to let him know that it was okay. That I'm over him. That I just want him to be happy."

He stared at her for a moment. "You deserve to be happy, too."

"I'm working on it. "

Flack nodded, turning back to the stove. "Good."

"I have a question for you, though."

He smiled. "You know you can ask me anything, Stell."

She knew this was her moment, that it was the opening she needed to tell him how she felt. Her throat suddenly dry, she licked her lips and took a deep breath, telling herself that if she didn't do this, she didn't deserve to be happy.

"What if it's not comfort?" she finally asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth.

Flack froze, his hand pausing in the act of stirring what was in the pan. He swallowed hard, and glanced up at her.

"What?"

She tried to keep from fidgeting. "We made a deal, in the very beginning, to not get together just for comfort. But...but what if it isn't comfort, Don? What if...it's become something much more than that?"

Flack didn't say anything for a long time. He focused on the task before him, his hand moving slowly as he began to stir again. Stella watched him, her heart pounding in her chest as she struggled to keep her breathing normal.

"Please, Don," she whispered. "Say something, anything -"

"Are you sure?" he asked suddenly, looking up at her, his blue eyes searching and hopeful. "'Cause you gotta be sure, Stell. I don't think I could take it if you decided later on that this isn't what you want. I can't lose you."

Stella let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. Giving him a watery smile, she reached out and rested a hand on his arm.

"I'm sure," she whispered.

Slowly, his eyes lit up, a wide smile coming over him. Reaching out with a shaky hand, he brushed some hair out of her eyes, letting his touch linger.

"You beat me to it," he murmured. "I came over tonight to tell you."

"I think it's about time we got to be happy, too."

His other hand came up to cradle her face, and slowly, gently, he kissed her. Stella sighed against him, her own hands coming up to hold his arms. His lips moved over hers, his kiss becoming firmer and more demanding. She gave in to him willingly, her fingers digging into his skin as she pulled herself closer, tilting her head as Flack nipped at her bottom lip and slid his tongue into her mouth.

Time seemed to speed up as their tongues met. Flack's arms snaked around her waist as he spun her around, pushing her up against the counter. Stella moaned deeply, her fingers tangling into his short hair. Tightening his hold on her, Don suddenly lifted her, setting her down on the counter top as she wrapped her legs around him. Their kisses became frenzied, their bodies unwilling to part after waiting for so long.

Eventually, air became an issue, and they pulled back slightly, letting their foreheads rest against each other. Breathing heavily, Don caressed her face gently, a smile on his lips.

"Wow," he whispered.

"Yeah." Stella glanced over at the stove. "If we keep this up, we're going to burn dinner."

Flack sighed. "And that would be a shame." He kissed her again. "Okay, so dinner first, and then we continue this conversation?"

She nodded. "Sounds good." He went to move away, but Stella tightened her legs around him. "Don?"

"Yeah, Stell?"

She nervously toyed with his collar. "I love you."

For a minute he just grinned at her. Then he leaned in, placing a soft kiss to her collarbone before moving his lips to her ear.

"I love you, too," he whispered.

Stella couldn't help the blush that ran up her face. "Good," she said, unwrapping her legs from around her waist. "Now cook me dinner."

Don chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."

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"So...will I get to see you again?"

Lindsay shook herself as she realized that her date - _Mark_, she reminded herself - was speaking to her. They had just left the restaurant, and try as she might, Lindsay had been unable to make herself focus on anything that he had said. He was a nice guy - hell, he was one of the nicest she'd met in a long time - and she thought that they were actually pretty compatible. But as she was faced with the prospect of another dinner out with him, she knew without a doubt that she couldn't do it.

"I'm sorry," she said gently. "I don't think so."

He nodded. "You've been distracted every time we've gone out."

"I'm sorry," she said again, feeling like a heel. "I thought I was ready."

"Bad break-up?"

"You could say that."

Mark sighed. "I get it. I'm not gonna lie, Lindsay - I like you. But it seems like there's somewhere else you'd rather be."

His words hit home more than he could possibly know. She struggled to keep her face blank, but her chest constricted and she found that it was suddenly hard to breathe.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Stop apologizing," he said gently. "It just wasn't meant to be." Leaning in, he kissed her on the cheek. "Do you need a cab?"

She shook her head, fighting back tears. "No, thanks."

Mark hailed a cab, and opened the door, swinging one leg inside as he turned to look at her. "Good luck, Lindsay," he said.

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Danny groaned as the pounding on his door continued. He had heard from the rumor mill that Lindsay had another date that night - with some guy named Mark - and he planned on spending his time drinking and watching bad action movies. Anything to keep his mind off of the fact that he had screwed up and now his girl was out with some other guy.

But the person on the other side of the door wouldn't give up, and finally Danny paused the movie and pushed himself up off of the couch. Setting his beer down on the counter, he unlocked the door and opened it to find a crying Lindsay on the other side.

"I hate you," she sobbed. "This is all your fault."

The sight of her tears broke his heart. Reaching out, he pulled her into his arms, closing his eyes as she clung to him and cried. He ran his fingers through her hair, backing them into his apartment as he kicked the door shut.

"I'm sorry, Montana," he whispered. "I'm so sorry I ruined everything."

She pulled back until she could look him in the eye. "I was on a date," she told him, noting the way his eyes flashed in pain. "He was a perfectly nice, respectable man who was genuinely interested in me. We had things in common. But I could barely listen to a word he said. And do you know why?"

Danny dumbly shook his head, unable to think of anything to say.

"The same fucking reason I couldn't be happy with Flack or go out with Hawkes," she continued. "Because he wasn't _you_. None of them are _you_. And for some fucking reason, _you_ are the only one I want. And I hate you for that, Danny. I really hate you."

She started to cry again, and Danny couldn't take it. He held her close again, wishing he knew what to say to make her feel better. Her words had given him a surge of hope, but he hated that she was still hurting because of him, that she couldn't move on with her life and be happy because of him. Her fingers twisted in the front of his shirt as she let everything out, finally purging herself of everything she had gone through in the past few months. Danny just held her tightly, giving her whatever he could.

When her tears subsided, and she seemed to finally calm down, she rested her head against his chest and breathed deeply. Danny glanced down, seeing the way her eyes fluttered shut, and he realized that she was utterly exhausted. Bending down slightly, he hooked his arms under her legs and carried her across the room. He knew that he had no right to take her into the bedroom, and that she would freak out if he even tried. Instead, he brought her to the couch and lowered them both down gently, cradling her against him as though she were the most fragile thing in the world.

They sat there for a long time, not talking, not doing anything except soaking the other in. Eventually Danny realized that she had fallen asleep, and he thought that that must be a good sign, if she could feel safe enough with him to relax again. He reached for the remote and shut off the TV, no longer able to remember what he had been watching. And then slowly, carefully, he laid them both down, Lindsay laying on his chest as he stretched them out along the couch. Pulling down a blanket from the back of the couch, he covered her completely, making sure that she was warm and tucked in. The light in the room was still on, but Danny reached for a book on the coffee table and then tossed it at the switch. His months of practice paid off, and the room fell into darkness. Wrapping his arms more tightly around her, Danny kissed the top of Lindsay's head as he closed his eyes.

"I've got you, Montana," he whispered. "And I'm not lettin' go."


	10. Forgive

"Okay

"Okay. Time for me to call it a night," Michelle announced.

Stella swallowed. "Let me finish my drink."

The other woman shook her head. "You and Lindsay stay."

"No," Lindsay objected. "As your bridesmaids, it's our job to make sure you get home safely and get up on time."

Michelle rolled her eyes. "Stay. Drink. Don't be hungover for my wedding tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

"I think you two have some things to talk about," she said, giving them both a pointed look. "I'd love it if my bridesmaids were best friends again."

Stella gave her a small smile. "We'll work on it," she promised.

Michelle hugged them both. "Good. I'll see you in the morning. My place at seven?"

"We'll be there."

She nodded, and then made her way out of the bar. Lindsay and Stella watched her go, silence settling over them as they realized that they were alone, that they had no one else to fill in the conversation. Stella took another drink and grimaced.

"I owe you an apology. I've owed you one for a few months now."

Lindsay sighed. "I think it goes both ways," she said quietly. "I hurt a lot of people."

"Yeah," Stella admitted. "But I should have told you why I was upset with you. I shouldn't have yelled at you -"

"No," the other woman interrupted. "That was a good thing. I needed that. If you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have been honest with Hawkes and then fixed things with Don." She paused, staring into her glass. "I never meant to hurt him."

"I know."

Lindsay shrugged. "How are you two doing?"

Stella tried to stop the smile, but she couldn't. "Really good, actually. He asked me to move in with him."

Her friends eyes widened. "Really? You said yes, right?"

She laughed. "Yeah. We're gonna do it after the wedding."

"I'm happy for you, Stella. I really am."

"You know, I should actually thank you."

Lindsay frowned, her nose crinkling. "What for?"

Stella thought for a moment. "If all this...if you hadn't broken his heart...we never would have fallen in love with each other. And I wouldn't trade him for the world."

She laughed. "I'm glad I could help then."

Stella watched her as she took another drink. "What about you and Danny? Flack says you two have been spending more time together."

"We're friends. It's nice to spend time with him again."

"Is that all you are?"

Lindsay shrugged. "It's complicated. I still love him - you know that. And I've forgiven him. It took a long time, but I think I'm honestly past it now."

"Then is it really that complicated?"

Lindsay looked at her, meeting her eyes. "Do you think I'm a fool?"

"For loving him?"

"For wanting to go back to him?"

Stella reached out and rested a hand on her arm even as she shook her head. "No," she said gently. "Everyone makes mistakes, Lindsay. Danny's not a cheater. He made a bad decisions, and he has regretted it every single day. If you've forgiven him, and if you think you can be with him again without holding it over his head, then I don't see a problem."

Lindsay's eyes filled with tears. "This is what I've missed," she sniffed. "My friend."

Stella stood up and pulled the younger woman into her arms. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry, too. Can we call a truce now?"

They pulled back, and Stella smiled. "Let's do better than that and call it forgotten."

"I like that idea."

Wiping her eyes, Stella looked around. "I'd say we're done here."

"So what do we do now?"

The older woman smiled. "We go bug Michelle. It's against the rules for the bride to be alone the night before her wedding."

"We're not going to stay up all night and paint each other's toes are we?"

Stella laughed. "No, we'll probably all be asleep in an hour. But it's tradition."

Lindsay rolled her eyes as they paid and walked out of the bar. "No arguing with tradition."

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Stella smiled as she watched Mac watch Michelle. She hadn't seen him this happy since Claire, and even then, it had been a long time before she died that he had smiled like this. The light in his eyes seemed to dance as he stood across from his bride-to-be, and she imagined that even though he would take his vows more seriously than life itself, he was barely listening to the priest at that moment. His hands shook slightly as he reached out to take Michelle's, but Stella knew that it was only nerves - he knew he was right where he was supposed to be.

Her eyes lifted and met Don's, as he stood next to Danny as the second groomsmen. He was gorgeous in his tuxedo, as she had already learned on one of their cases. But it was his face that held her attention, and the way his eyes never left hers as the priest spoke of marriage and the love of God binding two people together. Somehow, Stella knew that they were making a promise right then, to see this thing through, to not run away when things got hard or scary. She had been unsure that she would ever be able to make a promise like that, but when the moment came, she found that it was the most natural of choices. She loved this man with all of her heart, and she knew that they were both in it for good.

She pulled her thoughts back as she realized that the ceremony was nearing an end, and Mac and Michelle were exchanging rings. Tears were falling from Michelle's eyes, and Stella thought she saw Mac's eyes filling as well, but mostly he just looked like he had finally come home.

"I now give you Mr. and Mrs. Mac Taylor."

Stella handed the bouquet back to Michelle as husband and wife prepared to walk back down the aisle. She took a step forward to join Danny, but not before sharing another glance with Don. He was still smiling at her, and she felt a blush creep up her neck.

"That boy wants to marry ya, Stell," Danny murmured as they walked toward the church doors.

She smiled, looking over at her friend. "Then tell him he should ask."

His eyebrows rose. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

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"Have I told you yet how beautiful you are, Ms. Bonasera?"

She blushed, resting her cheek against his. "Once or twice," she murmured.

Flack smiled. "Good. And I'm gonna keep tellin' you."

They danced in silence for a minute, their bodies slowly drifting to the music.

"I talked to Danny."

Stella picked up her head, looking at him. "Yeah?"

Flack nodded. "Do you really wanna marry me?"

She thought about that. "I'm not sure we're ready for marriage," she told him honestly. Pain flashed through his eyes, and she rushed to explain. "But I know you're the one, Don. I know that this is it, that this is what I want. So when we are ready..." She smiled, brushing her fingers across his cheek. "Yes, Don. I would love to marry you."

He beamed at her before leaning down and kissing her softly. "I love you so much," he murmured, wrapping his arms more tightly around her body.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

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"Dance with me?"

Danny looked up from his beer to see Lindsay standing next to him. She looked absolutely radiant in her dress, and he hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her the entire night. And now she was standing in front of him, her hand extended out.

"I'd love to."

He got up and took her hand, letting her lead them out onto the dance floor. He was unsure of how close to pull her, and where to put his hands, but Lindsay took care of that. She brought her body up against his and wrapped his arm around her waist before entwining their fingers and resting her head on his chest. As they began to sway to the music, Danny closed his eyes and breathed her in, thanking God for letting him have even this much after everything he had done.

"This is nice," she murmured.

"Yeah," he choked out, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill out. "Yeah, it is."

She pulled back slightly, her eyes searching his. "Do you still love me?"

It was becoming difficult for him to breathe. "Yes," he whispered.

Lindsay nodded, her face serious as she seemed to think about his words. Then she pushed herself up, resting her lips against his in a simple but firm kiss. Danny froze, afraid his heart would burst any second. When she finally ended the kiss and pulled away slightly, he stared at her in shock.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice shaking.

She gave him a small smile and kissed him again before resting her head on his chest. "Turns out it's not as complicated as I thought."

He wanted to leave it at that, but the words were tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them. "What does that mean, Montana?"

Kissing his chest through his shirt, she sighed contentedly.

"It means I'm yours, Danny."


End file.
